Latch for refrigerator doors and the like



Aug. 7, 1928. 1,679,873

15. c. OSBECK LATCH FOR REFRIGERATOR DOORS AND THE LIKE Filed May 16,1924 v 7571/ 61 2 Elmer G. OJbZCJ-f JQihWgf Patented Aug. 7,1928.

UNITED STATE-S 1,679,873 PATENT OFFICE."

- m3 0. 083301, Gm WIDE, IICBIGAN, ASBI NOB T0 GRAND BAPIDQBMBS COIIANY,01' GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION 01 IICHIGLH.

LATCH iron mnmnaaron Doons nm 'rnn 1.11m.

Application ma m 1a, 1924; Serial in. 718,644.

The present invention relates to latches for refrigerator doors and thelike; and its object is nerally, to provide an improved device of t atcharacter whereby such doors may be securely and tightly he (1 shut, andma nevertheless be easily opened.

his and any other and more spec1fic objects hereinafter apfptearing areattained by, and the invention ds preferable embodiment'in, thestructure or structures hereinafter particularly described in the bodyof this specification and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

Figure 1 is a front view of a latch earned by a swingable door and akeeper therefor carried by the jamb of the door;

Figure 2 is a plan view thereof, certain parts being sectioned on line2-2 of Fig ure 1;

Figure 3 is a like view of a portion of the same, certain parts beinsectioned on the same line, and showing t 0 bolt in retracted position;

Figure 4 is a face view of a latch carried by a swingable door and akeeper therefor carried by the doors jamb, and illustrating a modifiedconstruction; and

Figure 5 is a plan view of the same, certain parts being sectioned online 5-5 of Figure 4.

In the drawings, my improved latch is shown mounted adjacent the freeedge of a swingable refrigerator door 1, the keeper 2 of the latch beingmounted on the jamb 3 of the door. The bolt 4 has a longitudinallatching and unlatching movement in bearings 5, 6 its outer end portion7 being adapted to ride up on the inclined front face 8 of the keeper asthe door is swung to nearly its closed position, and to move to aposition wherein it wed 'ngly engages latchingly the inclined inner ace9 of the keeper, said end portion 7 being preferably provided with ananti-friction roller 10. This bolt 4 is yieldingly moved into and heldin this wedgingly latching position by a spring 11 pressing between theinner surface of the casing 12 of the latch and the shoulder 13 of thebolt.

In the construction shown in Fi res 1, 2 and 3, the bolt has a pin orpro ection 30 adapted to abut against the inner arm 31 of detent 32swingably mounted at 33 extraneously of the bolt, when the bolt isretracted to the position seen in Figure 3, the

thus moved laterally sufficiently detent being pressed to the positionshown 'in said view to retain the bolt in said retracted position, by as ring 34.

When however, the oor 1s swung toward shut posltion, the end of thedetents other arm 35 str1kes the face portion 16 of the kee r and thedetent is swung oppositely, to e position seen in Figure 2, thusreleasmg the pm 30, whereupon the spring 11 presses the bolt outwardly,thus causing the roller to wedgingly en age the inner face 9 of thekeeper to ho d the door tightly closed.

The bolt 4 may be retracted against the pressure of the spring 11 b alever handle 18 fulcr1u2meddali119 on the oor or the latch casing anavmg an arm 20 e a m a notch or bearing 21 extending H5 35 versely ofthe bolt.

In the modified construction shown in Figures 4 and 5, the bolt 4 moveslongitudinally 1n bearings 5 and 6 The casing 12 has a bolt-retainingmember--the lug or proection 14-and the bearings 5 6 (particularly thebearing 5 are sufliciently wide in the bolts lateral direction, i. e.the direction at right angles to the doors outer surface, that the boltmay move thus laterally therein sufliciently to permit the bolts portion15, i. e. the pin 15, to be holdingly engaged b said member 14, when thebolt is retracts to the position seen in Figure 3, in which the roller10 is held from latching engagement with the keeper. When however, thedoor is swung toward shut position, the bolts laterally disposedextension 40 strikes and slides along the keepers laterally disposedbearing 41 and the bolt is to release its pin 15 from the bolt-retainingmember 14, whereupon the spring 11 presses the bolt outwardly, thuscausing the roller to wedgingly engage the inner face 9 of the keeper tohold the door tightly closed.

The invention being intended to be pointed out in the claims, is not tobe limited to or by details of construction of the particular embodimentor embodiments thereof illustrated by the drawings or hereinbefore described.

I claim:

1. In combination with a keeper therefor, a door latch comprising: aslide bearing; a bolt movable longitudinally therein and spring-pressedinto latching engagement with the keeper; a detent mounted in its middleextraneously of the bolt swin ably to extreme swung positions withintheie ing and spri -pressed into engagement at one .of its en s with thebolt to hold the same in non-latching position, and adapted to be swungby its opposite end strikin the keeper to a position disengaging the lt.

2. In combination with a keeper therefor,

a door latch comprisin' a slide bearing; a

a bolt movable longitu inally therein and spring-pressed into latchingengagement with the keeper; a detent mounted in its middle extraneouslyof the bolt swingably ELMER C. OSBECK.

